Windswept Way

A charming and inspirational read that makes me want to go back and read the rest of this series. While this can easily be read as a standalone - it's clear that Hope Harbor and cute and quirky residents play bigger roles in other novels. In Windswept Way. Ashley Scott decides to move across the country to take a chance on an old estate. As a historian she loves to showcase old houses and use them as event venues, she is charmed by Edgecliff and convinces the elderly owner to become her partner and open up the grand estate in order to preserve it and its legacy. In the process she finds herself charmed by the beautiful seaside town and a certain landscaper who wants to do nothing more than hide. Jonathon Gray used to be a model, but now he hides behind his shades and scarves. During the war he was badly injured and his scars have a way of scaring people. Rather than get to close to anyone he decides to keep to himself - that is until Ashley. Charming and inspirational - the perfect kind of fluff!

Blackberry Beach

Admittedly - I've not read the first six books in the Hope Harbor series, but that didn't make this book any less enjoyable or harder to understand. Kat has escaped from LA to the beautiful and sleepy community of Hope Harbor to "hide out" and re-evaluate what she wants out of her life. She's fresh off a tragedy and scandal and she's hoping she can fly under the radar. What she doesn't expect to do is catch the eye of the charming coffee shop owner who just so happens to be her neighbor. From the moment she walks into his shop hiding behind her sunglasses, Zach is smitten. He wants to get to know her better and in the process he will find out that they have more in common then they thought. They both have baggage and they both have done abrupt life changes - but is that what Kat wants? Can he convince her to stay? Predictable, but nice relaxing fluff.